Prioritizing Emerging Technologies: DOT Seeks Comments on NETT Council's Future Work
The U.S. Department of Transportation ("DOT") seeks comments on the utility and focus of the Non-Traditional Emerging Transportation Technology ("NETT") Council with respect to emerging technologies by April 8, 2022.
On March 9, 2022, DOT published a request for public comment, due April 8, 2022, to shape the NETT Council's future direction.
Created in April 2019, the NETT Council is an internal DOT body providing a specific avenue for industry stakeholders to engage with DOT on developments and deployments of emerging technology, including, but not limited to, highly automated vehicles, tunneling, and hyperloop. The NETT Council is composed of senior DOT leadership, including the secretary, deputy secretary, under secretary for policy, chief of staff, modal administrators, and other senior leaders.
DOT seeks comments on the following three high-level topics:
- Improving NETT Council's effectiveness, including its operation and addressing nontraditional and emerging technologies;
- Incorporating industry stakeholders' views in NETT Council's work; and
- Prioritizing NETT Council's focus on certain nontraditional and emerging technologies.
Industry stakeholders may capitalize on the request for public comment to address practical or regulatory issues affecting certain industries. For example, comments could address the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recent Final Rule concerning the applicability of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to highly automated vehicles or regulatory gaps hindering growth of an emerging technology.
Industry stakeholders may also consider whether to comment on global aspects of the issue areas referenced above. Proactive discussion of the interaction and interplay of domestic and international regulatory issues will likely shape further U.S. regulatory action regarding emerging technologies.
